Equatorial Guinea Court Convicts President’s Son Over Sale of National Airline Plane
The case dates back to November 2022 when the aircraft, which had been undergoing maintenance in Spain since 2018, was reported missing.
Malabo, August 27, 2025 — A court in Equatorial Guinea has convicted Ruslan Obiang Nsue, son of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, for the illegal sale of an ATR 72-500 aircraft belonging to the state-owned airline, Ceiba Intercontinental. The court sentenced Nsue to six years in prison but offered him the option to avoid incarceration by compensating the state for the missing aircraft, approximately $255,000, in addition to damages and a fine.
The case dates back to November 2022 when the aircraft, which had been undergoing maintenance in Spain since 2018, was reported missing. Investigations revealed that Nsue, a former deputy general manager of Ceiba Intercontinental, had signed a contract to sell the plane to Spanish company Binter Technic for €250,000. He admitted to receiving half of the proceeds, approximately €125,000, into his personal Spanish bank account.
While Nsue was convicted of the illegal sale, he was acquitted on separate charges of embezzlement and abuse of office. Prosecutors had sought an 18-year prison sentence and a fine of 500 million CFA francs ($847,000) for the president’s son.
This conviction adds to the growing list of legal challenges faced by members of the Obiang family, who have been in power in Equatorial Guinea for over four decades.
